Why Is DIY Beauty Making a Return?

In case you missed it, Nara Smith’s recent video about DIY sunscreen has set the internet ablaze. The clip detailed a recipe that included ingredients like beeswax, shea butter, and jojoba oil. Viewers immediately jumped into Smith’s comments section to point out how egregious this project was, and beauty professionals chimed in to echo the same sentiments.

Still, this isn’t the first influencer to use their platform to promote DIY beauty products. There have been others who have used beet powder to mimic blush, cherries as lipstick, and more. Against the backdrop of wider trends like drinking raw milk or homesteading, there’s a larger question at play here: What’s inspiring this new wave of “do-it-yourself” beauty?

To be clear, “DIY skin care and questionable wellness trends is not a new phenomenon,” board-certified dermatologist Omer Ibrahim, MD, FAAD, tells PS. “However, social media — TikTok in particular — has made it so much easier to disseminate them without any fact-checking.”

Ahead, experts explore what might be leading people out of Sephora and into their kitchens. More importantly, is it really “safer” than just buying a product at the store?

Experts Featured in This Article

Omer Ibrahim, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology.

Carolyn Mair, PhD, is a psychologist and the author of “The Psychology of Fashion.”

Why Is DIY Beauty Becoming Popular Again?

Again, the DIY-ification of everything is nothing new. One of the first big DIY beauty booms happened in the early 2000s, when YouTube creators first became popular. There was a new way to share information, and people quickly jumped on the bandwagon. Then, we saw it again in 2020, only this time out of necessity during the COVID-19 lockdown, when people lost access to beauty salons. Now? Social media is a bigger piece of the attention economy.

“When it comes to skin-care misinformation, a 2021 study in the International Journal of Dermatology looked at content shared online between March 2019 to March 2020, and about 44.7 percent of the shared content was rated as imprecise and 20 percent as confusing,” Dr. Ibrahim says. While studies on consumer behavior in 2024 are likely still underway, it’s not uncommon to see people touting language that shames well-researched cosmetic ingredients like preservatives or chemicals found in SPF products. Paired with the ubiquity of social media, it’s now easier than ever for people to present their opinions as facts to hundreds or thousands of people at a time.

Additionally, we live in an age when people are comfortable questioning scientific facts. “This trend reflects a growing skepticism toward established medical systems, conventional products, and science in general,” psychologist Carolyn Mair, PhD, says. “This can be linked to a broader distrust of institutional authority, which was amplified by the COVID pandemic. During the pandemic, mixed messaging, perceived inconsistencies in health guidelines, and a surge of misinformation eroded public confidence in medical advice and pharmaceutical companies. Consequently, some people are turning to DIY remedies and natural alternatives because they think they are safer. There is an urgent need for accessible public education to rebuild trust in the medical system.”

Should You DIY Beauty Products?

Technically, there are many cosmetics you can make at home, like a natural fragrance using essential oils or body scrub using sugar and oils. Still, there are some reasons you may want to steer clear. “Avoid anything with water as pathogenic microbes grow easily in products that are water-based,” Dr. Ibrahim says. “Additionally, don’t keep any products that you DIY for too long as they don’t have preservatives in them.”

If you do choose to DIY your own beauty products, it’s important to note that without preservatives, mold and bacteria can thrive and they will be the most harmful things in the product. In those cases, it’s best to use the product you created as soon as possible. Otherwise, it’s not worth the risk. “Unless products are created in a completely sterile environment, it’s impossible to avoid contamination when you DIY them,” Dr. Ibrahim says.

There are likely several other factors at play in this DIY beauty products trend (including the rising costs of living), but it’s important to remember that you should only take advice from credentialed professionals. If your favorite influencer is not someone who can legally give skin care and beauty advice to people outside of social media, take everything they say with a grain of salt.

Ariel Baker is the associate editor for PS Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.